


Proud

by astudyinfic



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec comes out and THEN meets Magnus, Alec goes to pride, Alec is gay, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Magnus is bi, Meliorn is non-binary, Raphael is ace, Simon is pan, give Alec Lightwood friends, meet cute, saveshadowhunters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 07:42:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14996078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: Wanting to experience it for himself, Alec goes to Pride alone.Along the way, he meets someone who takes his hand and helps him navigate the chaos around them.And he might change everything





	Proud

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't sleep the other night (thank you depression) and this was the result.

Being out in public without a glamour was unusual for Alec.  While he didn't mind mundanes, he certainly didn't want to spend a lot of time with them.  But this was different, o he steeled his shoulders and pushed his way through the crowd.  If he was going to be here, he was going to do it right. 

The sun had already set when Alec arrived, and there were people everywhere.  While that would normally make him feel uncomfortable, right now it was exactly where he wanted to be.  Because everyone was having a great time. There was music and dancing and more glitter than Alec had ever seen before.  He'd let Izzy dress him but asked to go by himself. "Next year, Iz, I promise. This is something I need to do on my own."  She'd been disappointed, he knew but she accepted that. Being the only out Shadowhunter left Alec doing a lot of things on his own.  

Going to Pride was one of them.  

His black tank top showed off his toned arms and he left his runes showing.  "Tattoos are sexy, Alec," Izzy explained. "They'll think you're badass. They'll  _ know _ you're badass."  The tight black jeans and black boots completed the clothing but Izzy insisted on doing more.  Eyeliner around his eyes, rainbow glitter in his hair (would that  _ ever _ come out, he wondered), and rainbows painted on his arms, his cheeks, and the back of his neck.  "It's about being proud of who you are so you might as well flaunt it," she'd argued and who was he to say no?  He might be the one who was out but she was the one who knew what she was talking about. 

Which was how he found himself here, in a sea of rainbow colors and so many other flags he didn't recognize.  All he knew was the rainbow one since Iz made such a big deal about it. He'd have to do research when he got home.  Alec wanted to know everything.

All around him people were kissing their partners and Alec's heart longed for someone he could share this with.  While he knew statistically there had to be other Shadowhutners like him, none had come out even after he paved the way.  He'd thought maybe it would be a turning point for his society but in the end, people basically forgot about it unless they were looking for a reason to talk about him behind his back. 

Which didn't leave him many other options?  Mundanes were out of the question as those relationships were even more forbidden than same-sex ones.  And Downworlders? Well, what Downworlder would ever want to be with a Shadowhunter?

No, Alec had given up on actually having a relationship any time soon.  His main reason for being happy he was out was that now his parents couldn't marry him off to a woman.  Every Shadowhunter knew the story of Alec Lightwood's rather explosive coming out and no woman would marry him now.  So it was one less thing to worry about.

Too caught up in the festivities and his own thoughts, Alec didn't see where he was going until it was too late and he ran right into someone.  "Excuse me, I'm so sorry," he mumbled, embarrassed that he'd managed to make a fool of himself even in a place where no one knew him. 

"A Shadowhunter at Pride?  Now I've seen everything," came a silky voice that pulled Alec from his self-flagellation and drew his eyes to the most beautiful face he'd ever seen.  "Are you here to make fun of us, nephilim?" the man asked before noting the rainbows and glitter adorning his skin and hair.  He blinked and then asked, "Are you  _ out _ ?"

Alec nodded, unable to find his own voice.  He gave the man a small shrug and turned to go when the man's hand wrapped around his bicep, gently pulling him back.  "You're here alone." It was a statement, not a question. "Would you like to come with us? Pride is best enjoyed with other people."

Alec bit his lip.  He could usually tell a Downworlder when he saw one.  Vampires, werewolves, and Seelies had their own distinctive tells.  Warlocks were trickier since their glamour was much harder to see through. Which meant that the man in front of him was most likely a warlock.   Not that it mattered.  He was being nice to Alec, something he knew he didn't deserve considering what his kind did to everyone else in the Shadow World but he appreciated it all the same.  "Thank you," he finally said with a small smile. "My sister wanted to come to support me but I told her I wanted to do it on my own this year."

The man smiled back at him.  "Well, you don't have to be alone.  It's much more fun with friends and considering I don't think there have ever been any of your kind here, this is a cause for celebration I think."  He extended his hand to Alec and smiled, "I'm Magnus Bane. And you are?"

"Alec Lightwood."  Cringing a little, he was surprised the High Warlock hadn't heard about him already.  It's not every day that the heir apparent to an important Shadowhunter Institute calls off his wedding in the middle of the ceremony by yelling that he was gay and couldn't do this anymore.  He'd been the talk of Idris for several weeks. 

Subtlety was not Alec's strong suit.

The man pursed his lips.  "I rather thought that was a rumor going around to annoy your parents.  I didn't think it actually happened. How are Maryse and Robert taking this information?"

"My dad left shortly afterward and went to the Los Angeles Institute.  I haven't heard from him since.  My mother is...adjusting.  She was upset at first but I think she'll be fine.  Besides, it's not like she has to worry about me bringing a guy home. Little chance of that happening."

"I find that highly unlikely.  You are a gorgeous man with power and courage.  Any man would be lucky to have you, Alexander." Alec cursed himself for blushing, something probably made more prominent by the rainbows Izzy painted on his cheeks.

They started to walk towards a group of Downworlders, including one that was familiar to him.  "Simon? What are you doing here?"

"Alec!  I'm so glad you came, man!  Izzy said you might but I wasn't sure.  I didn't know if this would be your thing or not."  Over the years, Alec became immune to Simon's incessant chatting so he raised a brow, waiting for the other man to be done.  He didn't realize that next to him, Magnus did the same thing. "That was creepy, you two. Do you know each other?"

Alec shook his head, "No, just met.  What are you doing here Simon? I thought you were dating Maia."    


"I am.  Doesn't mean I don't belong here.  See?" He held up a blue, yellow, and pink flag, waving it at him.  "Maia would have been here too, but she had to work."

"I...don't know what that means, sorry."  Blushing, Alec looked down at the ground. "I sort of thought a person liked men or a person liked women.  I didn't know there was other stuff. There are all these flags and I don't know any of them. I didn't even know about the rainbow thing until Izzy told me."

Magnus smiled, placing his hand on Alec's arm.  "It's more than alright, darling. We all have to start somewhere.  How about we start with this group and then I can explain the others when we come to them?"

Relieved that no one was upset with him or mocking him for not understanding, Alec nodded eagerly.  Magnus smiled back at him and pointed at Simon. "Sherwin there is pansexual. It means that he loves regardless of gender.  So yes, he can love Maia and still be in the community."

He pointed to a surly vampire standing next to him.  "Raphael is asexual, meaning he doesn't experience sexual attraction.  His black, grey and purple are representative of that." Alec's eyes widened not realizing that was an option.  

Next was a Seelie who looked more bored than anything else.  "Meliorn is non-binary. He uses he and him as pronouns but doesn't identify as male or female.  The flag for that is yellow, purple, black, and white." The Seelie - Meliorn - nodded and Alec smiled tentatively back at him. 

Of all the races, he knew fewer Seelies than any other but Meliorn seemed polite, if not friendly.  

Alec turned to Magnus and took in his appearance.  Head to toe glitter, all purple, pink and blue, Alec knew this had to be a different group.  But which one, he had no idea. Certainly, there couldn't be too many others, could there?  "And you, Magnus? I assume that your color palette isn't just because you look so good in it."

Magnus raised a brow and Alec blushed, realizing what he just said.  But he didn't try to take it back because the truth was, Magnus did look good in those colors and he would be lying to say anything else.  "Why thank you, darling. While we're at it, I've never been a fan of the all-black look but you definitely make it work. Particularly with those arms on display." 

Was Magnus...flirting with him?  Alec stared wide-eyed, gaping, and Meliorn laughed.  "Well done, Bane. You broke the nephilim. We will never hear the end of this."

Taking him by the arm, Magnus rolled his eyes at his friends and tugged Alec away from the group.  "Don't mind him. He thinks he is funny but doesn't understand that Seelies are the least funny people on the planet.  But to answer your earlier question, yes, the colors mean something. I'm bisexual, which means I am capable of loving more than one gender.  It's similar to Solomon with a little nuance here or there." 

"So..." Alec hedged, trying to get his brain back online.  "You like women and men?  Which means a man might have a chance if he wanted to ask you out for a drink sometime?"

"If the man is tall, dark, handsome, and currently covered in rainbows, I would say we shouldn't wait and just go have that drink right now."  His heart pounded as Alec realized that somehow, he just got a date with the High Warlock of Brooklyn. 

Magnus smiled at him and took his hand.  "Did you have a place in mind? I know a lovely place on the west coast of Mexico that has the best margaritas in the world.  If we hurry, we can still catch the sunset."

Mexico?  Margaritas?  Sunset by the ocean?  As Alec stammered his acceptance, he wondered at what his life was becoming.  But compared to what it was before, this was a marked improvement. Particularly with the beautiful warlock next to him.  

While he missed his sister and looked forward to bringing her next year, Alec was glad he decided to come alone.  It ended up being the best decision he'd made since coming out all those months ago. 

"Ready to go, Alexander?"

He nodded, "Yep.  I can't wait."

**Author's Note:**

> #saveshadowhunters 
> 
> Because this type of representation matters.


End file.
